


you make this easy

by neville



Series: thorbruce shorts [5]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Coffee Shops, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Starbucks, Wakanda (Marvel), bcus fuck that shit shuri's a queen!, bruce and shuri are bros, bruce staying in wakanda, frappuccinos make everything better, shuri doesn't die, they have been through some difficult times but theyre here for each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 13:01:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19768738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neville/pseuds/neville
Summary: It’s not an insignificant Starbucks - Okoye had seen to that. It’s three floors, very shiny, and has a queue trailing around the block; Bruce, however, is on a VIP list, so gets let in and escorted to a blocked-off area where Shuri is waiting for him.“I knew you’d come,” she says with a smile. “White people love Starbucks.”





	you make this easy

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this a while back because i cannot get over thor and bruce having frappuccinos together. they're my babies and i love them and they love each other, and also i love starbucks, just in case you couldn't tell - i basically live off of chocolate fraps

A formal invitation is extended to Bruce to attend the opening of Wakanda’s very first Starbucks, and honestly, he figures it’s probably a better way to spend his day than another eye-watering sixteen-hour shift in the lab before collapsing for a fitful few hours of sleep. Shuri would probably disown him, too, if he didn’t come, and so instead of making his way to the lab after his obligatory morning toast, he puts on a nice shirt (God knows he’s ruined enough of them by being too enthusiastic with his jam), swaps his usual battered day watch for a slightly nicer one (a gift from Tony a few years back), and heads out of the palace. 

He’s getting to know the streets of Wakanda: he’s been here since the  _ incident _ , with Shuri’s blessing, which makes it just about a year of wandering, coffee shops, and learning what food he can and can’t stomach anymore. He’s not sure why exactly, but his whole body seems to have reset a little since Sakaar. 

And he’s aged. He’s  _ definitely _ going grey. He winces a little every time he looks in the mirror. 

He dallies for a while, first in a local art collective where he buys a postcard he thinks he’ll send to Steve, and then in his favourite bookshop. He’s taken to reading again, while he’s been here - he was a voracious reader in university, a familiar face in the Cambridge Public Library, but life had caught up to him. Now it’s slowing down again, and so is he, and as a result he’s been letting himself take more time to curl up in his room and read some Cixin Liu. He buys a book by China Miéville about a kraken, and then checks his watch, and figures it’s probably about time to head over for the opening. 

It’s not an insignificant Starbucks - Okoye had seen to that, and Shuri had decided that, if they were going to do something to try and move on from the tragedy and work to keep building their country, they should probably do something grand. So it’s three floors, very shiny, and has a queue trailing around the block; Bruce, however, is on a VIP list, so gets let in and escorted to a blocked-off area where Shuri is waiting for him. 

“I knew you’d come,” she says with a smile. “White people  _ love _ Starbucks.” 

“We do,” says Bruce. “It’s how you get us all in one place.” 

“Might I recommend a frappuccino?” Shuri gestures to the one she’s holding, a half-finished and very pink strawberries and cream. Bruce raises his eyebrows. 

“I’m not sure that’s my kind of flavour.” 

“You don’t have to get the same  _ flavour _ ,” Shuri points out. “Just get a frappuccino. These things are  _ great _ . But strawberries and cream is the best, so stop judging just because it’s pink.” 

“I’m not judging it cause it’s pink, I’m judging it because I hate strawberries.” 

“You  _ hate strawberries _ ? What the fuck? Are you for real?”

“I don’t like strawberries,” Bruce laughs. “I never have. I’m getting a drink.” He grins, and heads up to the counter, trying not to eye up too many of the pastries and absolutely failing, his stomach rumbling amiably. 

He hears the door swing open and someone else come inside, and Bruce recognises the voice before he even turns round to come face-to-face with its owner. Just hearing the warm bass of Thor’s voice makes his heart swell. It’s been almost a year since Thor had just  _ left _ , not telling anyone where he was going and typically having no contact method. If Bruce had done some sleuthing, sure, he’d probably be able to find something out - no-one is ever really gone anymore, thanks to the Internet - but at the same time, he had known that Thor had reasons, and that he had to let Thor go. 

But memories of the ship still bubble up when he’s not thinking about anything else: Thor talking to the Hulk, talking him down, breaking through the barriers until Bruce was back; and in his hazy post-Hulk consciousness, awash in the knowledge that somehow Thor had convinced the Other Guy to let Bruce come back, Bruce had leaned up and kissed him. 

Better still, Thor had kissed back. 

Honestly, he probably thinks about it too much for something that happened in a stressful adrenaline rush a year ago. But it pops into his mind, and then once it has, he can’t seem to fend it off, no matter how much he meditates or how much further he gets into his latest research paper. And it always reminds him of how much he  _ misses _ Thor; he misses everybody, really, and wishes someone would  _ visit _ \- but he knows that everyone has their own demons, and they’re all dealing with them in their own ways. 

“Uh, hey,” he says to the barista, grinning sheepishly. “Can I get a grande chocolate frappuccino with coffee, thanks, and the name’s Banner.” 

He turns, surprised to find Thor only moments behind him. Thor is beaming at him, and before Bruce really knows what’s going on, is hugging him, too. It’s a little asphyxiating, but Bruce doesn’t mind. “Banner! It’s good to see you. What are you doing here?” 

“I’m staying here,” Bruce says, noticing that Thor actually seems a little softer than usual. It’s nice, though. Makes him want to not let go, but of course, he does. “Um, just using the labs and stuff, helping Shuri out here and there. What about you? What brings you to - uh, Starbucks?” 

“I got an invite,” Thor says cheerily. “And I was thinking, maybe we could have one in New Asgard. I took Korg to one in Oslo and he’s a big fan.” 

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Bruce laughs, and there’s a lull in the conversation there, where they just stand, both looking at each other. There are so many things Bruce wants to say but none that he can will into existence. 

From behind him, someone calls out his name, and he fetches his frappuccino, scooping some of the cream out with a straw and then absentmindedly offering some to Thor, who declines in favour of ordering a strawberries and cream. Miraculously, he even has actual Wakandan currency on him; usually, he tries to pay for things with Asgardian coins and Bruce has to cover his bills. Thor orders some food, too: he gets a piece of chocolate chunk shortbread that he breaks in half so that Bruce can have some. 

“Why  _ are _ you staying here?” Thor asks - curiously, not rudely, trying not to spill crumbs as he talks. Bruce smiles politely, turns his drink round in his fingers, not really sure how to answer that; it’s a question he’s been avoiding thinking about himself, really, and since Shuri has never pressed, he’s generally been leaving the answer alone. “If that’s not rude, of course, I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” 

“No, it’s fine. I just feel… useless, you know? Like there’s nothing I can do, or could’ve done, and I’m trying to work on things.” 

“You weren’t useless,” Thor assures him; and Bruce knows that everybody feels like they were the useless one, but it doesn’t make him feel any better. His world is full of  _ what if _ s. One of them is happening in front of him right now and he’s still not sure what to do about it. “What have you been working on?” 

If Bruce were honest, he’d tell Thor that he’s been spending far too much time lately back in the realms of gamma radiation. But that feels like too much to say right now, and so he tells Thor half the truth: “I’ve been thinking that our ability to monitor extraterrestrial threats hasn’t been very good - first Loki, now Thanos - so I’ve been working on methods of detecting external threats to Earth’s welfare. And writing a paper on it.” He respectfully holds off on mentioning that he’s been collaborating a great deal with Jane Foster on the project; it’s not the time. “Hopefully, I can try and stop anything like this from ever happening again.” 

Thor hums appreciatively. “That’s very charitable work.” His drink arrives, and he takes a very loud and passionate sip before verbally declaring his approval and giving the barista a thumbs-up. Shuri gestures between Thor and Bruce before pointing at Bruce, but he doesn’t answer her, as much as he appreciates the insinuation. “I’m very sorry I left, Bruce. I…” 

“God, Thor, please don’t be sorry. What’s everybody sorry for? This isn’t  _ easy _ , you can’t just read a book on how to cope with this sort of stuff. You just have to try.” Bruce swallows, realising he’s brought on a little lump in his throat. “But I’m so glad to see you.” 

“You too,” Thor says amiably, hugging Bruce again and not seeming to mind that he ends up with crumbs all over his t-shirt. 

This is nice, actually, Bruce thinks. Therapeutic. Neither of them are being  _ really  _ honest, because that’d be too much, but they’re being just honest enough for one pm in Starbucks, just enough for it to be a start. Which is all they need. 

A  _ start _ . 

  
  


Thor is invited by Shuri to stay in the palace for a few days if he wants, and, after sparing a glance at Bruce, he graciously accepts. 

Bruce spends the rest of the afternoon showing Thor around city centre - first the tourist spots, but then the places Bruce likes the most himself. There’s a street that provides a perfect angle to watch the trains skim by, and a bar with a jukebox that’s connected to Spotify so that Bruce can listen to whatever he wants while sipping away at one of a number of mocktails. Wakanda has fake alcohol that tastes eerily similar to the real thing - even Thor agrees - and since Bruce is teetotal, it’s an option more fun than lemonade or overpriced tonic waters. There’s a blues band that busks near Bruce’s favourite sandwich place, and he and Thor listen to them while sitting on the street’s benches, enjoying a somewhat late lunch. 

“I like this place,” Thor says as he eats. “It has a lot of heart, despite what’s happened. I hope New Asgard can be like this.” 

“I’m sure it will be,” says Bruce. “You’re a good king.” 

Thor chuckles. “I’m not sure about that.” 

Bruce isn’t turning this into a debate. “You are,” he assures Thor, his voice gentler than he’d expected, and he disposes of his sandwich packaging in a nearby recycling bin. “Hey, I think we should go back to the palace next. It’s so cool, you’re going to love it.” He realises that he probably sounds a little too enthusiastic considering that his favourite part is the herb garden; it’s still a work in progress after it was apparently razed, but watching its development has been fascinating, and he’s definitely got his priorities in the wrong place but doesn’t care. He turns to Thor, only to realise that his friend has come up behind him; Thor lightly catches Bruce’s arm and smiles. 

Bruce isn’t expecting Thor to lean down and kiss him, and grins against Thor’s mouth in pleasant surprise before kissing him back. 

“Not yet,” Thor says. He looks as if he has something he wants to say, desperately, and Bruce knows the feeling.

“Another Starbucks first?” he suggests, and Thor nods, taking his hand. Thor’s hand is much bigger than his, and warmer; Bruce flushes. He’s missed this. Thor; being stupidly in love; just wandering for hours with no destination in mind, letting the day guide him. Nothing has been this easy in a long time. 

He doesn’t know what Thor is going to say to him, if it’s serious or life changing or flippant, just knows that it’s important, and that he’d listen to Thor for as long as he has words to speak. 

They’re making headway, he thinks. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank u so much for reading!!


End file.
